Mentor getaway driver pleads guilty to helping rob Painesville bank

A Mentor woman admitted Monday in Lake County Common Pleas Court to helping her friend rob a Painesville bank Jan. 14 and holding the stolen money for a few days.

Hope MacChesney, 54, pleaded guilty before Judge Vincent Culotta to two third-degree felonies: tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice.

MacChesney faces a sentence ranging from five years of probation to six years in prison.

She assisted her friend, Rollina E. Reynolds, as a getaway driver after Reynolds robbed KeyBank on North State Street. She also held onto a little more than half of the $2,450 stolen.

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The incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. Jan. 14 when Reynolds entered the bank clad in a hooded black coat and dark sunglasses. Reynolds was handed money after she told a teller she had a weapon and that it was a robbery, police said.

No weapons were shown during the robbery and nobody was injured.

Reynolds, 42, of Mentor, pleaded guilty March 1 to robbery and was sentenced Monday to five years in prison.

MacChesney told the court that she didn't know Reynolds robbed the bank until they finished a couple of errands afterward.

MacChesney knew about Reynold's felony history, which includes attempted kidnapping and several probation violations, but "thought she had changed her ways," she said. Because Reynolds had no car, MacChesney said she often drove her to do grocery shopping and other errands.

MacChesney refused an offer from Reynolds of $300 after the robbery, she told the court. Nevertheless, MacChesney allowed Reynolds to store about $1,500 of the stolen money in her home.

When police asked MacChesney about the robbery a couple of days after, she slowly revealed facts about the incident, but ultimately told police "she didn't know about any money or get any money," Assistant Prosecutor Alexandra Kutz told the court.

Police searched MacChesney's home later that day with a warrant and found $573 in a dresser drawer.

"The defendant admitted that the $573 in her dresser drawer was in fact money from the bank robbery that she had received from Ms. Reynolds," Kutz said.

Defense Attorney Christopher Boeman said Reynolds made visits to the MacChesney home and withdrew portions of the stolen bank money. The $573 was what was left.

Culotta is scheduled to sentence MacChesney on May 13.

The judge and Kutz recommended a pre-sentencing report be done between now and then.